Tenses and verb agreement

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Your use of verbs and tenses should be consistent.

While tenses can and do change in texts, there are
conventions that you must follow to avoid confusion.

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You must ensure that your subject agrees with the main verb.
A singular subject must have a singular verb form. Fer example:

The teacher [singular subject) shouts [singular verb form)

loudly. The teachers [plural subject] shout [plural verb form)
loudly.

This applies even when the action is in the past.For Key term
example:
regular verb:a verb
He was shouting loudly NOT He were shouting loudly that follows predictable
patterns in forming
They were shouting loudly NOT They was shouting tenses and agreeing with
subjects
loudly
The table below shows how the main verb tenses are formed
for regular verbs, such as to walk and tojump.

Tens Example Explanation

e
Simple 1 jump, he jumps The ending of the main verb changes
according to the tense and subject.
present 1 jumped,she jumped
Simple past 1 am jump ing,he is jump 1ng These tenses are created by an auxiliary
verb and a present participle of the main
Present 1 was jumping,she was
jumping verb (ending in '-ing').
progressive Past
These tenses are created with an
progressive 1 have jumped,he has jumped auxiliary verb and a past participle of
the main verb (ending in '-ed').
1 had jumped ,she had jumped
Present perfect
Past perfect

O Correct this paragraph from a discursive text:

Digital technologies transforms the way we lives. Now car park themselves;you can even
drove them remotely.
 Build the skills Key term

Many irregular verbs do not follow this pattern. The table irregular verbs:verbs
below shows sorne common irregular verbs. that do not follow the
standard patterns

to be to eat to run to think to take to go

Simple am,are,1s eat,eats run,runs think, thinks take,takes go,goes
present
Simple past was,were ate ran thought took went
Progressi was being was eating was runn1ng was thinking was taking was
ve fonn go1ng
Peñect form had been had eaten had run had thought had taken had
gone
 Develop the s kills
Modal verbs are a form of auxiliary verb.They provide information about the certainty, possibility
or improbability of an action or situation. For example:
• He should go (it would be best if he • He would go... if... (he isn't going but if
did) things change)
• He might go (it is uncertain but • He can go (it is possible,or he is allowed to)
possible)
• He will go (he has decided - he intends to do it)
• He cou/d go (he has the potential to)
Sentence punctuation
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You have already learned how sentences always start

with a capital letter and end with a full stop,
exclamation mark or a question mark. However, you
must use the full range of punctuation to write
effectively.

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Using commas and apostrophes correctly is a basic punctuation

skill,which you must get right in all your wr iting.
Commas
Use commas to separate items in a list:

1 bought fajitas,tomato sauce,onions and fried chicken to

prepare for the party.
Use commas to separate adverbs,clauses or phrases (often as a
way of adding detail,prioritising information or organising your
ideas):

Although I was angry, I didn't say anything.

(The comma separates the subordinate clause so that it
is clearly the first clause in the sentence,emphasising
the writer's anger.)

First of ali, l'd /ike to dea/ with the prob/em of traffic in

the city centre.
(The comma sets apart the sequence phrase - first of al/,
emphasising the order in which ideas will be presented.)

lose, on the other hand, believes that the biggest problem is

pedestrians.
(Here,the bracketing commas tell us more about Jose's
feel ings.)
The cornrna splice
A comma splice is a common error where two clauses that should
have been split into separate sentences or organised using a linking
word/phrase,are mistakenly separated by a comma. For example:

1 went to see the f ilm,it was fantastic.

This could be rewritten in several ways:

1 went to see a film,which was fantastic.

1 went to see a f ilm.lt was

fantastic. 1 went to see a film: it
was fantastic. 1 went to see a
film;it was fantastic.
Apostrophes
Use apostrophes to indicate possession.
lf the owner is singular,the apostrophe goes before the 's':
Japan's government, my unc/e 's bald head.
Watch out for names already ending in 's': Dickens's novels.
lf the owner is plural,then the apostrophe comes after the 's':
managers'problems with their teams, footballers' wives.

Get this wrong,and you can change the meaning. For example:
• The boy's bikes were both stolen = one boy had two bikes stolen
• The boys' bikes were both stolen = each boy's bike was stolen
There are exceptions for special plural words,such as children's,
men's, women's.
You should also use apostrophes to show omission.The
apostrophe goes where a letter,or series of letters,has been
removed:

• There isn'tmuch you can do. (is not)

• You'I/ be lucky! (you will)
Semi-colons are usefulfor contrasts and comparisons,to link two
clauses of equal importance. For example:

Rajesh likes table tennis;lrina prefers hockey.

Semi -colons ca n also be used wh en listi ng items that ta ke m ore

than a single word. For examp le:

1 watched all my f avourite Bond films again last week - Live

and Let Die; Quantum of Solace; Skyfal/.
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In all your writing, you ne@d to use a r1ange of senten,ces

app,ropriate to the situation or audience you are writing for.

Tl'le bes,t 'Writing:

,. uses sent.enl:es aecurately s 0 that: 'tlh e meainin1g is cllear
1

• uses a range of sentences, f or effe,ct and iimpact.

Remember that sentenc,es, lbegin wit h a capital letter and end witn
a full stop (.),questi1 on1 mark (?) or, exclam1ation marlk (I!). These
¡punictuation mar ks point toiwards th@ cUf fere1nt tunctions of a
sentence.
 (for tatemen s or ugges
ions) Maybe we could go for a swim
la er.
The crowd clapped enthusiastically.

el (for tre sing a poin or

howing reng h of feeling)
How beau iful ha dres i
Wha a shame
The subject of a sentence is the person or thing that is doing
the action or feeling the emotion. The verb is the act of doing,
being or feeling something.
Simple sentences are usually A compound sentence is A complex sentence can add
short and contain one clause usually longer.lt contains further information,provide
with a subject and a two or more clauses of contrast,or show cause and
verb.They are useful for equal effect. lt contains a main
explanations weight linked by clause and one or more
and instructions.They can conjunctions such as or, and, subordinate clauses,often
separate distinct ideas or yet, so, but, for and nor. marked off by a comma or
give a sense of time slowing connective.
Our team played well and
down or speeding up.
the players showed ali their Although it was the middle
I sat in the exam room. ski/Is. of the night, the dog
The clock ticked. barked
I had failed. /oud /y.
Subordinate clauses are important for expanding ideas.They Key terms
are secondary to the main clause and cannot stand on their
own. subject:the 'do-er' of the
For example: verb action in a sentence
or el ause
Although our guide had given us a detailed and main clause: the main part
comprehensive map,we were utterly lost. of a sentence that could
stand as a sentence on its
The main clause here is 'we were utterly lost' - it can own
stand alone as a sentence. The subordinate clause adds subordinate clauses:
supporting clauses that do not make
information. In many cases,subordinate clauses that start with sense on their own;not
a subordinating conjunction (although, even though, because, complete sentences
in order that) can be switched with the main clause.